Unfinished Business
by SweetHarmonee
Summary: Sometimes a soul stays connected to the world after death because it can't let go and it can't move on. Something is keeping Jenna Hamilton from crossing over.
1. Chapter 1

It hurts so much…

And I can't breathe….

Everything was silent. And it was almost completely black. Black, black, black… with various shades of green and blue misting by throughout the blackness. There wasn't any light. It felt as if I were floating, sinking, and falling simultaneously. My heart pounded so heavily I thought my chest might explode, my stomach twisted and turned as if I were on a never-ending rollercoaster ride, and all I wanted to do was weep. But how could I cry when I still couldn't even breathe? Closing my eyes, I prayed.

And suddenly a blinding steam of light pierced through the darkness. My mind was as fuzzy as my eyesight. I blinked, shut my eyes for a few moments, and blinked again. With a mental sigh of relief, I tried to focus as I cautiously opened my eyes fully, adjusting to the bright light.

What had happened?

Were those remnants of a dream?

How long have I been asleep?

Am I awake again?

My breaths were short and heavy. Sweat beads journeyed from my forehead and down the sides of my face. Gazing around, my eyes met with the plain white walls of an empty hallway. To my left, at the end of the hallway was a single closed door with a sign on it. I was too far away to read the writing. To my left, there was nothing – the hallway seemed to trail on endlessly, an expanse of never-ending emptiness. It was quiet. The only sound was my breathing. As I walked down the dimly lit hall towards the lone door, the echo of my shoes clattering across the linoleum floor accompanied my panicked breaths.

Where am I?

Why am I here?

Is this a dream?

The sound of another set of footsteps echoed across the linoleum tiles behind me. The musky odor of cheap cologne filled the air. Turning my head around just in time, my eyes met with a deeply wrinkled face that I didn't recognize. Well, old was an understatement. His skin was so withered and pale that it almost seemed transparent. Besides a few silver wisps, his hair was nonexistent. That poor, shriveled, toothless soul was the type of ancient that should be marveled at, like an archaeological artifact behind glass in a museum.

"Excuse me, miss." The elderly man spoke in a frail voice, slowing walking past me with a wooden cane in hand. He was so feeble, his steps remarkably slow, as if he was if pain. With each sluggish step, I swear I could hear the creaking of his bones. The tremors in his hands became noticeable as he reached for the door knob. There was a flash of bright light. And he was gone.

The sign dangled from a metal hook on the wooden door. Open? It was so simple and inviting.

Footsteps echoed against the linoleum tiles again, except this time the sound of stiletto heels filled the air. Behind me, a plump middle-aged woman in a hospital gown approached with a pleasant smile. She seemed friendly enough, but I could't stop staring at the clumps of makeup caked into her wrinkles, the flaps of skin hanging from her chin, the dark brown of her roots beginning to show within her bleached strands.

"Honey, aren't you going to go in?" Her raspy voice pierced the air.

Hesitating, I looked around stupidly as if she could be speaking to someone else.

"Yes. You." The old woman laughed. "You're not going to find anything else in this hallway. This is it; the end of the line. You should go inside."

"Um…" I look at her, at the door, and back at her. Unsure how to appropriately respond, I nod. "Okay."

The eerie echo of my footsteps filled the hallway again as I approached the door. Placing my hand on the door knob, I let out a deep sigh before turning it and entering through the mysterious stretch of light. Pushing through the blindness, my eyes began to focus clearer and I was met with the realization that I was standing in a waiting room. The room was adorned with a few dozen plastic chairs, mostly occupied. Despite the handfuls of people sitting in the room, the silence was only interrupted by the obnoxious ticking of a hidden clock. This room reeked of broken hearts and dreams that would never again see the light of day. Adjacent from me was a receptionist's desk and behind it staff seemed to pace back and forth in slow motion – they were lifeless, almost un-humanlike with their expressionless faces. Unsure what to do, I slowly made my way up towards the receptionist's desk. Once I was a few feet away, my feet stopped themselves and I couldn't continue any further. It was all just so bizarre.

"Welcome!" A pale young man with neon yellow hair was sitting behind the counter, his coworkers pacing back and forth behind him. Despite the eeriness, he happily greeted me as I approached. He was dressed in the same scrubs a nurse at a hospital would be wearing. "Miss, please come closer." Noticing my apprehension, the neon haired nurse called out to me again. A smile graced his lips. A smile so very pleasant… yet, that very smile caused my heart to throb with fear.

The waiting room, the nurse, the hallway, the silent people here. Everything is so otherworldly, so strange. Despite the cold shudder running down my spine, I can't help but feel that I'm not out of place. For some unknown reason, I'm supposed to be here. So, I decided to take a few steps close to the counter.

"We're so sorry that we've kept you waiting this long." The nurse smiled at me once again, placing a closed hand out onto the counter. Opening up his hand in an offering gesture, he reveals a little pink pill. With a happy gesturing nod towards his open hand, he spoke again, "Miss, please?"

Unable to make sense of this situation, I stare at him dumbfounded. What was the last thing I could remember before the blackness, before the hallway, before this? Absolutely nothing. I couldn't explain what was happening. "I don't remember…" I allowed my confusion to escape from my lips. "I don't remember anything."

With an almost childlike chuckle, the nurse replied, "Of course you don't. Please, just take this. It'll help you feel better."

For some reason that calmed my nerves and my suspicion began to fade into curiosity. I was still apprehensive, but I took another step closer.

The nurse, that pill, everything about this waiting room is just… right, the way it's supposed to be.

"So, that will make me remember?"

"That's right." He still wore that pleasant smile on his face as he answered me. He reached his hand out further. "Here, take it."

Breaching the distance between me and the counter, my slow steps felt almost dream-like. He smiled with a nod of approval as I took the little pink pill from his hand and into my own. Examining it briefly, I didn't notice any markings or anything unusual about it. Then I brought the little pink pill to my mouth and swallowed.

Keeping his eyes focused on me, the nurse let out yet another eerie smile, "Good luck, miss."

Immediately, I was dazed as I am swallowed by complete darkness. Stretching my mouth open to scream, I found that I couldn't make a sound as the breath began to escape from my lungs. I felt weightless and numb as if I were disappearing. I flailed my arms around hoping to grab onto something. But it was too late. Everything drifted away into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey." An unfamiliar voice called out to me. "Hey, can you hear me? Hey!"

The darkness drifted away and the sunlight beamed down onto my face. I started to regain consciousness and I opened my eyes to see a man's lips only mere centimeters from mine. Following the length of his high cheek bones, I was met with the intensity of his worried blue eyes. His sandy blonde hair contrasted his bronzed skin, loose strands of hair falling messily to the side to perfectly frame his face. Even if his face weren't inches away from mine, I wouldn't be able to keep myself from staring.

What happened to me? Was I dreaming? Wasn't I just in some strange waiting room in a doctor's office?

Suddenly, my lungs felt so heavy that I swore they could have collapsed. Water came rising up from inside my lungs and out on to the stranger in front of me. I turned my face, struggling to spew the chlorinated water and trying to breathe again. The cement against my face felt cool, but somehow a comforting reminder that I had come back to reality. A hand began gently caressing my back in a manner that I felt strangely accustomed to.

"Welcome back, Jenna." A male voice spoke out softly. Rolling over so that I was lying on the flat of my back, I could see that the voice was that of the blonde haired man from when I first regained consciousness. He gently cradled his hand behind my neck to lift me up slightly. "Are you okay?"

I didn't respond immediately. First I gazed around me. There were crowds of teenagers surrounding me, hastily speaking all at once. Some of them looked shocked. Some looked concerned. Some looked like they were simply amused. I caught whispers about _suicide, instability, not the first time. _ Behind the crowds gathered around me, was a large pool. The sun beamed down on me from above and a slight breeze kicked up some debris onto my face. This place, it felt familiar… like a school's swimming pool.

"Who are you?" I began questioning the man holding me. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

A look of utter confusion and bewilderment took hold of the man's face. His eyes widened before looking away, loosening his grip on me slightly. He turned his stare from me and looked up at a beautiful young woman. Her skin was pale, eyes an almond brown, and hair such a dark red that the sun beams gleaming down made it appear as if she were on fire.

"Is she going to be okay?!" The young woman questioned loudly, obviously full of concern.

I heard the sandy haired man began explaining the affects of drowning and other medical nonsense, but I was distracted. Next to the red-haired beauty stood a young man who stared down at me with a look of disgust radiating from his dark eyes. He was extremely tall and well built. He was ruggedly handsome, a face so perfect that it wouldn't have surprised me if a sculptor had chiseled it. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes… That face was the first that felt familiar to me. I recognized him, but still didn't know him. He was someone important to me.

"Hey…" The blonde man leaned in and whispered to me. "Can you tell me your name?"

I replied with a slight shake of the head, looking up into his blue eyes.

"That's okay. I think we need to get you inside, maybe to the nurse's office."

"That's ridiculous!" The red-haired girl exclaimed, crouching down and putting her hands on my shoulders to pull me up. "Jenna's fine! It was an accident! She just needs to get into some dry clothes… Everyone needs to stop making such a big deal out of this!" She continued to yell, pointing her judgmental gaze towards the teenagers crowded around. Holding my hand, she led me away. "Luckily we have the backup pants in the locker room."

People continued to whisper as we walked away.

"Yeah. Sure, another accident."

"Like anyone believes that."

"That girl has some issues."


End file.
